2/11/2009 @ 6:00PM

In Pictures: 10 Tips For Taming The Tax Cops

Use an honest tax preparer

If your tax preparer winks at unreported income or suggests inflating deductions and claiming credits you’re not entitled to, find another tax pro–fast. The government has been targeting sleazy tax preparers; it goes after them in court and then audits their clients en masse. Last week the government got an injunction against a Connecticut tax preparer who not only inflated taxpayers’ business expense deductions but also wrote off their transfers to relatives as charitable contributions.